Diatomaceous Earth

Hello strangers ;o) I'm a part of a local yahoo group for conscious parenting and they were talking about Diatomaceous earth (DE). Has anyone heard of it before? I have heard of it, but I haven't tried it. It sounds fascinating though. It is basically a fossilized hard shelled algae (phytoplankton) that has a ton of uses. It can be used as a stabilizer in dynamite, for pool filtration, pest control (it takes the exoskeleton of the bugs, especially fleas) among lots of other uses. It is important to know to get the food grade DE. You can give it to your pets orally for about 60-90 days to get rid of any parasites they have. Actually, you can use it on yourself if you suspect you have a parasite (I read on one website to take one tsp with a drink per day). The food grade DE does not work chemically so there is no chemical toxicity to it. It resembles the shape of a honeycomb (when magnified) and the sharp edges to it are what kill the parasites, much like the fleas I mentioned earlier. You can use it topically to control many insects, for instance, rub it on your dog’s fur for fleas. If you see roaches, spread it where you see them. Pour it over an ant mound. Sprinkle it where you see aphids. Pretty cool stuff! I love how nature provides use with the most perfect remedies that are useful in so many ways and they don't poison everything else in their way!

http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/ProductCart/pc/Diatomaceous-Earth-Food-Grade-5-lb-Bag-11p39.htm?gclid=CIzP0Ymm86oCFcER2godWBcBOA

Coconut Oil Sale

I just wanted to give everyone a head's up (sorry a little last minute though). Nutiva has a sale on coconut oil right now.

Here is the sale: Save $$ on Nutiva ORG Coconut Oil 1 Gallon @ $46.99 till Friday 12th midnight coupon code: cocodeal - or buy case of 4 for $41.45 ea code: cocodeal4 - http://ow.ly/5Zf7I

This is a GREAT deal!! If you miss this one though, you can find them on facebook and if you like their page they will give you a $10 off coupon code. They also have a bulk deal on chia seeds too, 3 pounds for $20. If you don't need that much, split it with someone! I just ordered some of each of these things!

I use coconut oil for most of my baking, and as a lotion. It isn't greasy when you rub it in real good and it is great smelling (well as long as you like the smell of coconuts).

Nutrition and Hospitals - Need I Say More?

So my father was recently in the hospital having surgery. He had a fistula from Diverticulitis (hence why I had the few posts on fiber). Anyway, I just wanted to vent how disgusted I am by the stuff they tried to pass as food in that place. I really don't understand how a place full of sick and injured people wouldn't place any emphasis on good nutrition. It's not like they aren't making any money in these places. Two days after his surgery (to remove a section of his colon) they put a tray in front of him with an ice cream scoop of processed mac n cheese, brown vegetables (they had been nuked to death) and a piece of white bread...SERIOUSLY!? Thankfully my sister was there and let them have it about how ridiculous that was and they promptly gave him some slightly more nutritious foods. But think about how many people don't have any advocates there for them, or the people who just don't know any better. Shouldn't a place full of health workers know better? It really makes me want to figure out a way to change things. This is where I really wish I had a nutrition degree to back up the wealth of knowledge I have so that these people will listen to me and make a change. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

Fiber

So I was talking a few posts ago about the importance of eating your fruits and veggies. I want to add to that. I think I should have emphasized the importance of fiber instead. Did you know that everyone should have an average of 30-40 grams of fiber every day. That's a lot of fiber! Most people only consume around 8-12 grams each day. So as you can see, there is quite a gap. I wanted to provide a link I found on different ways to get fiber and how much fiber some food actually has. If you can try to consume your fiber via food, rather then fiber supplements, that would be the best option. Besides fruits and veggies, some other fiber sources are whole grains, beans and nuts.

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. I found this website that gives a pretty good breakdown of the two and here's what they said: "Soluble fiber is found in dried beans, peas, oats and oat bran, flaxseed and psyllium husks. It's also found in fruits such as oranges and apples and vegetables like carrots. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids in your stomach and prolongs digestion time. This helps to regulate blood sugar. Studies also show that soluble fiber can help reduce your overall cholesterol count. But what's even more important, soluble fiber lowers your LDL, which is considered to be bad cholesterol.
Insoluble fiber is found in whole wheat, wheat bran, vegetables such as cauliflower and green beans and the skins of fruits and root vegetables. Insoluble fiber helps remove toxins from your colon and balance intestine acidity. It also helps move waste through your intestines and bowel."

As you can see, fiber is some pretty important stuff. Here is the link that I mentioned earlier. At the bottom of the chart it has links for other charts, check those out too.

http://commonsensehealth.com/Diet-and-Nutrition/List_of_High_Fiber_Foods.shtml